Before rope bondage became ubiquitous everywhere from music videos and fashion editorials to art installations and, of course, social media, it was largely, well, a dirty little secret. Emphasis on the ‘dirty’. Sex and bondage have long been combined, allowing the kinky folks who play this way to amplify all the fun parallels that run between the two: excitement, vulnerability, surrender, exposure, sensation, trust, intimacy … The list goes on. Whether you and your partner are playing with kink and rope bondage for the first time, or you’re seasoned kinksters with a regular rope practice, rope can be a tool to enhance your eroticism and intentionally explore a spectrum of pleasurable emotions – consensually, of course.
If you’re looking for some sexy shibari ties to practice with your partner or begin incorporating into the bedroom, here are five Shibari Study courses to get you feeling inspired (among other things), plus five bonus classes because these ties are way too hot to gatekeep…
Beginner-friendly sexy shibari Tifereth’s Physical Rope: Ground
Grab your rope (just one is fine), pull your partner closer (using your legs to do it isn’t just allowed, it’s encouraged) and join Tifereth and her rope bottom Irkalla as they explore what Tifereth likes to call “physical rope” – a type of minimal-technique hands-on play that’s all about feeling good and getting physical. In the first part of the course, Tifereth shows how using just a doubled over rope and her own body as her tools, you can push, pull, compress and spread your partner’s body in space to push them to their happy limits. Top tip for keeping this sexy? Roll around, topple over, laugh – this type of play is deliberately messy and unstructured, helping you focus more on fun and less on fiddling.
If you liked this, also try… Feelings Game We encourage folks to think of rope as a tool that expands the ways in which you can communicate and seeing it as a ‘language’ for expressing intent – and no one ever said you can’t dirty talk with ropes! Lief and Icky’s floorplay-friendly and non-technical Feelings Game is focused on the bottom choosing the things they would like to feel in ropes and the rigger finding ways to convey that emotion in ropes. Make it as romantic – or as X-rated – as you like!
Rope harnesses for sex Kinoko's Bedroom Bondage
Yes, a huge number of shibari harnesses can be creatively incorporated into intimate play, but if you’re after harnesses expressly built for comfort, sustainability and, you know, getting it on, global shibari icon Hajime Kinoko has two to share. Together with his model hua hua, Kinoko’s ‘Bedroom Bondage’ course offers both an upper body harness and a lower body harness that hit the mark of being spicy yet simple – not only are these ties functional and fun, but they recognize that if you’re using them during sex, there’s an understandably high likelihood of getting distracted. As such, they avoid complicated techniques, strenuous positions or unnecessarily risky rope. Rather, they’re built for grabbing, tugging and playing – if you want to see how, don’t miss Kinoko’s demo at the end of the course.
Effortlessly immobilizing, exposing and easy to tie, the final result of this beginner-friendly tie is a titillating “face-down-ass-up” position perfect for more explicit play. Take a tip from the comments section and tie your bottom’s palms inward so that they can hold onto a vibrator… You can thank us later.
A rope harness for under clothes Neko Harness
Sure, you can incorporate rope into what you do with your partner behind closed doors, but who says wearing it out can’t be an option for spicing things up too? Swap out sexy lingerie under your clothing for bare skin and rope with the alluring Neko Harness, as taught by Tamandua and his model Mie Neko. This hands-free tie is not only perfect for adorning the body and easily concealing under your date night outfit, but it’s built for pleasure (or discreet torture) too. With stimulating pressure points built into the pattern, including some well-placed knots on the crotch rope, this wearable rope harness is more than just aesthetically pleasing. Wear it out, if you dare…
If you liked this, also try… Crotch Rope Exactly what it says on the box, Gorgone’s Crotch Rope tutorial dives into the ins and outs of applying rope to this most sensitive of areas. Whether you’re after a decorative addition or a more, ahem , sensation-motivated application, this class offers options for different desires and anatomies. This is the one for rope that feels every bit as erotic as it looks.
BDSM for the body and mind D/s Dynamics
That delicious space where sex and bondage intersect is not only about playing with the body in ropes but about playing with mental space and emotions too, and when it comes to “setting the mood”, it’s just as important for BDSM as it is for more vanilla types of intimacy. In this introduction to D/s dynamics, Ropunawa – together with his partner Freya – discusses how to mindfully begin to explore dominance and submission. This insightful class covers how to read different cues and signals from your partner, how to nonverbally communicate your intentions and how to create an immersive experience for playing with power dynamics. Start off with Ropunawa’s Leash Tie as an effective and deeply erotic tie for beginning to play with those powerful feelings of surrender and control.
Tamandua, together with his model Alma, invites you to view tying as a form of touch, and much as touch isn’t sensual by default, neither is tying. In this discussion and performance, Tamandua shares some of the essential elements for sensual tying – from gaze and rhythm to playing with different sensations and emotions, it’s all about amplifying both the physical and the emotional for a sensually charged experience. Great for more erotic shibari sessions… and if we’re real about it, just as good for your vanilla sex life too.
Extra spice Rope Gags
Incorporating shibari skills into your sex life doesn’t have to mean memorizing complex full body hogties or drilling a suspension hardpoint into your ceiling. Rope can be used to – consensually, we stress – add an extra element of playfulness, stress or shame to your spicy scenes without needing to invest in a full rope kit or learn complicated knots. Case in point? This collection of rope gags, as taught by Gorgone and their model Franz. Using just a rope or some household items, you can start to add a little kink (and potentially a lot of drool) to your play. You’ll never look at wooden clothespins in the same way again…
If you liked this, also try… Foot Rope When approached with intent and coming from a place of curiosity and play, both shibari and sex can truly be head-to-toe experiences. With that in mind, we’d be remiss to not rope in those tender little toes – yes, literally. Gorgone’s foot bondage course offers five different ways to tie feet, ranging from simple to advanced, for the extra spice you didn’t even know you needed. You don’t need a foot fetish to enjoy, but don’t blame us if you develop a newfound appreciation for your sweetheart’s tootsies in the process…
Where can I learn shibari with my partner? Where possible, we will always advocate for a combination of learning shibari online and in-person tuition. Each type of learning offers its own distinct and different benefits. If you’re not sure how to find shibari classes in your area, try turning to, well, the internet. FetLife can be a great resource for connecting with kinky folks and for finding your local rope bondage community. The Shibari Study Community is also an online rope community space that connects Shibari Study members from around the globe.
This piece was initially published in February 2025, and has been updated by our team.
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